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HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Aug. 31) - Japan has completed construction of 16 community high schools in Malaita, Guadalcanal and Western provinces.

Japan Embassy Grassroots Project coordinator Yosuke Sekiguchi said these also include desks, latrines and water tanks.

This project was funded through the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project (GGP).

Mr Sekiguchi said the project finished construction in the first week of August - one year and one month after the signing of project documents in July 2006.

This project was implemented by the Rural Development Volunteers Association (RDVA), with cooperation from the Ministry of Provincial Government and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development.

Mr Sekiguchi said each community has received a new two-classroom building, 30 new desks, six new pour-flush latrines and three water tanks.

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Sept. 2) – Ousted Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase says the country is in serious trouble and has offered his services to the Interim Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama to help rectify this problem.

"Our country is in serious trouble and it has been forecasted that the economic performance for 2007 will fall by 3.1 percent of gross domestic product," he said following the end of his nine-month exile yesterday.

The deposed leader is currently attending a Fathers Day service at the Centenary Church in Suva accompanied by members of the Soqosoqo Duavata ni Lewenivanua (SDL).

Qarase said that the interim government should realize the growing trend of poverty, crime rate has increased and foreign investment has declined.

He said that the onus is on the interim government to work together and move the country forward.

"Its time to move on and work together for the betterment of the country," Qarase said.

PAPEETE, Tahiti (Tahitipresse, Aug. 31) – The French Polynesia Assembly approved a motion of no confidence Friday morning by 35 votes, toppling the eight-month-old government of President Gaston Tong Sang.

The assembly then voted to meet on Sept. 10 to elect a new government president. That will be the fifth time since the May 2004 election for the 57 assembly seats that the unicameral body has met to choose a new president. Tong Sang, 58, was the third person to hold the post of government president since the 2004 election.

Presidential candidates have until midnight Tuesday to file their candidacy. The speculation has already begun on who the candidates may be.

Although the no confidence vote had a safe margin of six more than the required 29 votes for adoption, 16 assembly members were not present for the vote and six of the 41 present cast blank ballots.

The obvious overall conclusion was that a combined effort on the part of Tahiti's two key...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Sept. 2) – Samoa’s deputy prime minister, Misa Telefoni, has admitted that the country is in debt because of the new infrastructures built for the South Pacific Games.

The overall cost of the 13th SPG is reportedly around US$92 million with millions spent on roads and bridges.

However, Misa Telefoni is not too concerned about the mounting debt

"We wanted these facilities to be useful for the games, but we also wanted something of permanent value," he said. "That is why we built one gym at the National University and we’ve got one complex there for Samoa College. We improved the hostels, built ablution blocks. So hopefully this is all good infrastructure. About 100 million worth of roading and bridges were done; but I mean this was stuff that was needed to be done anyway. So we are a bit in debt, a bit inflationary as economists would say, but we’ll...

SUVA. Fiji (Fiji Times, Sept. 2) – A former president of the Methodist Church says the sovereignty of a nation belongs to the indigenous people.

Speaking on recent moves not to use race as an issue on the path to democracy, Reverend Josateki Koroi said it was God's plan to put indigenous people on various parts of the earth so they could govern what God gave to them.

Mr Koroi says God created all races in different colours but of one human race and that the dominion over all things depends on which country God created for your people.

"No one has a choice of what race or country one should be borne into," he said.

"God created the world and all human race from one blood and located them in their various places on this planet, to live and take care of themselves and their environment.

"The sovereignty of a country belongs to its indigenous people.

"God's declaration that "all rights reserved' on the sovereignty of any and every country of...

NUKUALOFA, Tonga (Matangi Tonga, Aug. 30) – Radio Tonga's Senior News Editor, Siaosi Lavaka, who was dismissed last week by the Tonga Broadcasting Commission, wants to know why he was dismissed and to have a right of reply.

"I would like someone to tell me why I was dismissed because as far as I know, I do not know," said George yesterday, who received his marching orders from the general manager after running a news story about the Dr. Sam Wong-'Etuate Lavulavu controversy over the directorship of the 'Unuaki-'o-Tonga institute.

Siaosi said on August 29 that he was seeking legal advice because neither the general manager, 'Elenoa 'Amanaki, nor a TBC sub committee that dismissed him has given him a right of reply to their letter of dismissal.

He received his letter of dismissal at 4.30 pm on August 23 and said that the general manager did not answer her mobile when he rang her constantly on the same evening.

The aquarium project, perceived to be a major boost to the French Pacific territory's capital, was scheduled to officially open late 2004, then the date was rescheduled several times, due to technical, design and logistical problems encountered last year and earlier this year.

Problems included a parasite larvae contamination of the water, which forced project managers to completely re-filter and purify the waters contained in the huge 400,000-litre main tank.

Additional costs incurred were taken care of by New Caledonia's territorial and provincial authorities.

Meanwhile, the original cost [estimate] of US$10 million is estimated to have reached some US$17 million due to the setbacks and delays.

The new 3,000-square-metre Nouméa aquarium project received some US$6.2...

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Sept. 3) – There are reports that around 40 endangered turtles were slaughtered during the annual Methodist Church Conference in Macuata, Vanua Levu.

This is despite the Fisheries Department giving approval for only three turtles to be caught and spread for "traditional purposes" and with promise that the catching of turtles will be policed.

However, Senior Fisheries Officer Aisake Batibasaga said the officers stationed in Macuata who have been monitoring the number of turtles caught by members of the Methodist church have reported that a lot more turtles have been caught.

He said the reason why the Fisheries Department did not allow more then three turtles to be harvested are because they are "highly endangered creatures."

Batibasaga also said that there are severe penalties for the illegal catching of turtles.

Offenders can be sent up to five years imprisonment or fined up to $20,000 for illegal turtle fishing. Those caught...

HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, Aug. 31) – Solomon Airlines may have to end its international flights, the chairman of the Government body which owns the financially-troubled airline admitted yesterday.

Investment Corporation of Solomon Islands (ICSI) chairman Martin Maga said Solomon Airlines may instead have to "code share" with other airlines.

This would involve having seats on scheduled services these airlines operate, instead of operating its own plane and flights.

Mr Maga said the airline company is in a serious financial situation and this looks the best option.

Solomon Star understands that the Solomon Airlines board is carrying out a study that will determine the airline’s future.

It’s understood that the board will submit its findings to the Investment Corporation, which will in turn forward them to the Government for the final say.

The Investment Corporation and airline board are expected to meet today.

KOROR (Palau Horizon, Sept. 3) — Del. Joel Toribiong has demanded an explanation from Bureau of Public Safety Director Hazime Telei regarding the still unsolved grand larceny incident last year occurring at the Ministry of Finance.

In a letter to Telei, Toribiong said that sometimes in Dec. of 2006, an amount approximately $7,000 was stolen fro ministry and until this time no arrest has been made.

Toribiong said because of the case being unresolved there were suspects whose "lives are still in limbo."

Toribiong said ,"It is my understanding that the Criminal Investigation Division was assigned to investigate this case, yet no arrest or apprehension of the perpetrator is being made. I am beginning to doubt your capability as law enforcement officers considering the fact that numerous crimes in the Republic of Palau have gone unresolved. Are we still safe in this society?"

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.